Harvard: Stop destroying the Iberá Wetlands!

Why this is important

Harvard University owns 212,500 acres of land in the heart of one of the world's largest reserves of freshwater: the Iberá Wetlands in Corrientes, Argentina. These lands are covered by pine and eucalyptus plantations, which are managed by two corporations—Las Misiones and EVASA.

Harvard spokesperson Kevin Galvin has defended the companies by pointing to their certification by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).
FSC’s internationally recognized program seeks to ensure that certified timber companies are "environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial and economically viable.”

For many years, Friends of the Earth International, World Rainforest Movement (WRM), and many other non-profit organizations and social movements have criticized the FSC for certifying inherently unsustainable plantations that harm the environment and hurt local communities. In this case, FSC has certified irresponsible companies that continue to consolidate a massive amount of land and pay poverty wages to people who work unsafe jobs.

Despite the millions invested in Harvard’s plantation, the towns of San Miguel, Concepción, and San Roque have the highest unemployment and illiteracy rates in the province of Corrientes. The monoculture plantations also devastate the environment: they reduce the availability of water for farming, lower the water flow during the dry season, worsen summer droughts, create water shortages in local communities, and destroy the wetland ecosystem.

The Responsible Investment at Harvard Coalition recently visited the Iberá Wetlands to investigate the Harvard-owned companies. The Coalition and the Oakland Institute released a report on the companies, which has led to protests in front of Harvard President Drew Faust’s office. Students are outraged over their university’s unethical investments, and they are urging Faust to address the concerns of the most-affected communities.

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We are writing to you so that you, as president of Harvard University, take rightful responsibility for the activities of your university in the Iberá Wetlands in Corrientes, Argentina.
Large-scale monoculture tree plantations occupy vast areas of land, displace local communities, consume huge amounts of water and nutrients from the soil, and require the intensive use of agrochemicals. These characteristics make them inherently unsustainable, and they therefore cannot be certified as "sustainable.” For communities living with the reality of the eucalyptus plantation companies and pulp mills, the FSC seal is a farce, guaranteeing impunity, even in the face of rights violations. In this case, FSC has certified social, environmental and cultural injustices.

We therefore ask that you:
1. Stop expanding the plantations until completing a participatory study of their environmental and community impacts.
2. Remove all plantations within 2,000 meters of our communities.
3. Comply with all legally required employment practices, which are currently being ignored.

We are writing to you so that you, as president of Harvard University, take rightful responsibility for the activities of your university in the Iberá Wetlands in Corrientes, Argentina.
Large-scale monoculture tree plantations occupy vast areas of land, displace local communities, consume huge amounts of water and nutrients from the soil, and require the intensive use of agrochemicals. These characteristics make them inherently unsustainable, and they therefore cannot be certified as "sustainable.” For communities living with the reality of the eucalyptus plantation companies and pulp mills, the FSC seal is a farce, guaranteeing impunity, even in the face of rights violations. In this case, FSC has certified social, environmental and cultural injustices.

We therefore ask that you:
1. Stop expanding the plantations until completing a participatory study of their environmental and community impacts.
2. Remove all plantations within 2,000 meters of our communities.
3. Comply with all legally required employment practices, which are currently being ignored.

Enter your email address:

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I do not want Avaaz to inform me of the results of this campaign, or any other action in the future.

We are writing to you so that you, as president of Harvard University, take rightful responsibility for the activities of your university in the Iberá Wetlands in Corrientes, Argentina.
Large-scale monoculture tree plantations occupy vast areas of land, displace local communities, consume huge amounts of water and nutrients from the soil, and require the intensive use of agrochemicals. These characteristics make them inherently unsustainable, and they therefore cannot be certified as "sustainable.” For communities living with the reality of the eucalyptus plantation companies and pulp mills, the FSC seal is a farce, guaranteeing impunity, even in the face of rights violations. In this case, FSC has certified social, environmental and cultural injustices.

We therefore ask that you:
1. Stop expanding the plantations until completing a participatory study of their environmental and community impacts.
2. Remove all plantations within 2,000 meters of our communities.
3. Comply with all legally required employment practices, which are currently being ignored.

Enter your email address

Email

Name

Post code

City

I do not want Avaaz to inform me of the results of this campaign, or any other action in the future.

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We are writing to you so that you, as president of Harvard University, take rightful responsibility for the activities of your university in the Iberá Wetlands in Corrientes, Argentina.
Large-scale monoculture tree plantations occupy vast areas of land, displace local communities, consume huge amounts of water and nutrients from the soil, and require the intensive use of agrochemicals. These characteristics make them inherently unsustainable, and they therefore cannot be certified as "sustainable.” For communities living with the reality of the eucalyptus plantation companies and pulp mills, the FSC seal is a farce, guaranteeing impunity, even in the face of rights violations. In this case, FSC has certified social, environmental and cultural injustices.

We therefore ask that you:
1. Stop expanding the plantations until completing a participatory study of their environmental and community impacts.
2. Remove all plantations within 2,000 meters of our communities.
3. Comply with all legally required employment practices, which are currently being ignored.